‘Punk Professor,’ journalist, author and all-around cool person Vivien Goldman, whose classic debut single "Launderette" turns 40 this year, is finally releasing her debut album. It's titled Next is Now, was produced by Youth of Killing Joke (who most recently worked on U-Roy's great final album), and will be out August 20 via Youth Sounds / Cadiz Entertainment. "Quite a turn-up to be making my first album now, specially with my dear bred'ren Youth at the controls," says Vivien. "I found I had lots to sing about and my voice has improved!"
The album includes last year's great "I Have a Voice," and the new single is the dubby "Saturday Afternoon," that comes with an edit by the legendary Dennis Bovell. You can listen to that below.
Vivien will celebrate the album's release at Brooklyn's IRL on August 22 with 4 PM and 7 PM performances. Tickets are on sale.
If you're unfamiliar with Goldman, her career is varied, having worked in music in a variety of capacities over the last five decades. She's an authority on reggae, having worked with Bob Marley at Island Records in the '70s (she was his first publicist), before becoming a music writer for Sounds, NME and other publications, and then later ended up working for the UK's Channel Four. At the same time she was a musician, having been a member of arch, arty synthpop/post-punk group The Flying Lizards as well as new wave duo Chantage, and "Launderette" features Robert Wyatt and was co-produced by PiL's John Lydon and Keith Levene. She's also an adjunct professor of Punk and Reggae at NYU. Last year she released the fantastic book, Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot.
Tracklist:
1. Russian Doll
2. Saturday Afternoon (Dub Edit)
3. Vertigo
4. My Bestie & My B.F.F.
5. Home
6. Substitute
7. Rope Burn (For Miles)
8. Next Is Now
9. Driverless Car
10. I Have A Voice
